Cassie, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs settle lawsuit over sexual abuse allegations
Cassie Ventura, left, and Sean "Diddy" Combs arrive at the Los Angeles premiere of "Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story" at the Writers Guild Theater, June 21, 2017, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
A lawsuit from singer Cassie Ventura alleging sexual abuse by famed music producer Sean “Diddy” Combs was settled on Friday, the pair announced, just a day after it was filed.
The suit alleged that Cassie suffered years of “abuse, violence and sex trafficking” while in an on-and-off relationship with Combs starting in 2005, who was also her boss.
She said he lured her “into an ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle, and into a romantic relationship with him,” when she was just 19 years old and he was 37.
The settlement announcement came less than 24 hours after the lawsuit was filed.
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” Cassie, real name Cassandra Ventura, said in a statement. “I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
Combs said: “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”
The suit also alleged that Combs physically abused Ventura, describing “savage” beatings in which he punched, kicked and stomped on her.
She also claimed that Combs raped her when she attempted to leave the relationship in 2018.
Combs, a Grammy-winner widely known for establishing artists such as Mary J. Blige and the Notorious B.I.G., denied the allegations from Ventura in a statement through his attorney.
“Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” Combs’s attorney said Thursday. “For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail.”
Ventura’s lawsuit was brought under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York state law that allows people who say they were victims of sexual abuse to file civil suits after the statute of limitations has expired.